"The X-Advisors..."

"The X-Advisors..." Part XXIV...

Disclaimer: All is Chuck's...

Part XXIV...

"It's a little ridiculous for you to take a day off, Sheldon." Leonard, frowning as he sat up in comfortable chair in the living room, eyeing Sheldon on sofa.

Penny, also on sofa, still a bit inclined to frown as well...

Much better for Leonard to be lying here on the sofa...But of course someone can't manage without his favorite spot.

Still, to be fair, when he saw the threatening glare in my eyes, Sheldon did kindly offer to allow provisional use of his spot space for the next day or two when he's not around...It's Leonard after all who insisted on taking the chair, as the start of "a return to normal". And it is truly blue of him, staying home with me to help keep unobtrusive...Well, ok, obtrusive, watch...

Just for the one or two or three days...C'mon, he died...He died...I can't just laugh that off with some casual...I'll get it under control in a day or so or at least find some way to disguise my constant and eternal observation but...She stared at Leonard.

"...I cannot live without my life, I cannot die without my soul. I am Leonard." She whispered, too softly for him to hear.

Sheldon eyeing her, having heard...She shrugging at him...

So, love's making me a better actress too...

"I'm not doing this for you." Sheldon insisted. "Amy wanted me to stay home and take care of my tummy after all the recent upsetting events...And I have my reasons as well..."

"I hope that doesn't mean you're using me as an excuse to avoid Susan Stein..." Leonard frowned.

"Yes, yes...Absolutely." Penny seized on the opportunity. "And it's wrong, Sheldon. You have to face her sooner or later. But... Maybe it's not such a bad idea, for one day...Or two...Or three...To keep away and let things settle. For Amy's sake." She gave high-minded glance to Leonard. "For Amy's sake, Leonard." She repeated.

"Oh, please..." he frowned, sighing. "But, fine...If it makes you feel better and it might actually relieve Amy a little. But tomorrow, Sheldon...Unless we have a milky-green alert from you..."

"Back to school...Work...School and work...Gotcha." Sheldon nodded.

"Anyway, hopefully, Dr. Stein, female, got the message and will leave you strictly alone from now on." Leonard noted.

"I hope so..." Sheldon, a bit nervously. "She was always a very persistent girl."

"I still can't believe she got you to promise to marry her..." Penny smiled at him. "You dog..." she chuckled. "Tell me you don't have a string of girls like that..."

"Penny...I would never do that." Sheldon, steady look at her.

She nodded, sighing with rueful smile. "No, honey. You wouldn't. I'm sorry, that was a bad joke. Forgive me." She patted his hand. "But you gotta admit, it was outta character for you to start offering to marry girls...I mean besides the Girl."

"At the time, it was sincere. I had no idea Amy was stalking me, even pretending to be my sister to Dr. Stein to save me. Nor that she was the love of my life, the vision I saw on that train to Maine and in Penn Station." Sheldon, quietly. "If I had...I never...I swear..." he looked at her, anxiously. Leonard looking to Penny...

"You break my heart, Sheldon..." Penny had teared up. "Who'd've imagine you and Amy had this going on for so long...I'm so glad for you both. You're nearly as lucky as Mrs. Penny Hofstadter." Teary grin to Leonard.

"And Dr. Mr. Penny Hofstadter." Leonard noted. "I still can't believe Amy did all that. Followed you to Austin, pretended to be Missy to save your life, came here to Cal Tech."

"My bestie, the Princess on a quest to win her boy..." Penny beamed. "And now you have the happy ending...Provided you don't turn back into a clam, Sheldon." Stern look. "You don't blow this, boy. Or I swear I will get Mama Cooper and Meemaw and the three of us will give the 'getting-after you' of your life."

"No need. I won't." Sheldon, firmly. "But I could imagine it. It's what I'd expect of Amy Farrah Fowler...My train girl."

"That is true, isn't it?" Leonard smiled at him. "Almost all the most wonderful things between you two did happen on trains. I think I see now why you love them so much."

Penny nodded silently a moment... "Then I'm sorry for Susan...She never had a chance."

"Only one...Mrs. Hofstadter." Susan eyed the screen of her laptop, pleased to see the mini cam she'd planted the other night was working perfectly. "Only one...Lost forever, in time..." grim stare...

"And yet...Who's to say time can't be rewritten." She noted to the screen's images.

"After all, I've never been a big Whovian."

....

Howard and Bernadette's apartment...

"Ok...You two think that both Drs. Stein are still up to something...?" Howard eyed Raj and Lucy on sofa, both nodding.

"And Dr. Francis as well?" Bernadette added.

Both nodding again...

"My girl has a sixth sense about this..." Raj noted. "The Bruce Willis real kind, not the déjà-vu everyday thing."

Thank you...Lucy mouthed.

"But what would Dr. Francis be doing? Preventing Susan from coming between Sheldon and Amy?" Bernadette, puzzled. "If so, mission accomplished, for now."

"I don't think so." Lucy, quietly. "I don't think he meant to prevent it. He came here, to stay for months at the same time the ex-friend he hates comes? And he's content to just leave things at that? I don't think so."

"Well, UCLA did offer him a nice lab and setup..." Howard noted. "Coincidence does happen, fellas. Sure, he may dislike his ole bud..."

"Amy says it's deep, dude..." Raj sighed. "Sorry to dispel my girl's magic psyche a bit but I talked to Amy when I was at Leonard's, Penny's, Sheldon's and now, her place and she tole me Dr. Stein told her the whole tale of why Francis hates him. Good and deep reasons, folks. I agree with Lucy. I don't think he's satisfied with Susan making a polite withdrawal. He was too anxious to speak to Amy himself, to 'warn' her about Stein and he came by the hospital to keep tabs on us. Not even Gandhi is that unselfishly Gandhi. I don't think he wants to make peace, I think he means to spill blood."

"And she hasn't given up on Sheldon." Lucy insisted. "At the party that wasn't a girl ready to walk away." Slight shy smile. "I know the type." Raj beaming at her.

Sorry as I do feel for Emily...I'm rather glad you didn't either.